The Bench
by NaleyWriter23
Summary: Fifteen years later, Nathan takes Haley to an important place in their relationship.


**So, I've been working on like a million little stories here and there but never have the mindset to finish them. Today I was in a mood to write, and tried to get a start on the next chapter of Halo but hit a brick wall. I then attempted to write a few more song-fics but that got me nowhere. I started watching Naley videos on YouTube and watched the I Love You scene, and well, this story basically wrote itself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **It's pure fluff, which I know you'll all enjoy :)**

 **Let me know what you think, and be on the lookout for the next chapter of Halo this week!**

. . . . . .

"Nathan!" Haley laughed in between admonishment as her husband of nearly fifteen years hastily pulled her along the sidewalk. "Where are you taking me?"

They had just finished a romantic dinner at Karen's Cafe- a once a week ritual while Nathan's mother watched the kids at her house. Normally they'd catch a movie afterwards, or go home and make the most of their kid-free home for the evening, but tonight he simply grabbed her hand and pulled her along the dark and quiet streets of Tree Hill, insisting he had someplace special to take her. She thought, at first, Nathan was pulling her to the docks- a very special place in their relationship, but when they strolled past it without a second glance, Haley grew utterly puzzled as to where her husband was dragging her.

"You'll see," he smirked and continued his brisk walk with Haley trailing behind him.

"Babe, I'm wearing heels. You've gotta slow down," she begged. Nathan was a man on a mission and she could barely keep up. His hand held hers firmly, but even then it was difficult to follow his brisk pace.

"Sorry," he looked back and chuckled. Haley was great at many things, but athletics was certainly not one of them.

She smiled brightly. Nathan was adorable when he showed any sign of excitement; a trait their four children all seemed to have inherited.

"Seriously, Nathan, where could you possibly be taking me that is so important? Is Sheryl Crow back in town or something?"

Nathan laughed again, "Nah, sorry. But I think this is better than Sheryl Crow. Trust me."

Suddenly, his hasty pace came to an abrupt halt and Haley nearly bumped into him. She furrowed her brows and looked around. They were on a random street corner she had no recollection of. "Why'd you stop?"

His shoulder's slumped dejectedly. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what?" She desperately wracked her brain for why Nathan thought this sidewalk was important. There was a pizza place on the corner but it just recently opened, so unless he wanted to try it, she couldn't find a reason why they were there. Judging by the frown on Nathan's lips though, she knew she had to be missing something.

"You really don't recognize it at all, Hales?" Nathan slumped- his prior excitement now replaced with rejection.

Haley reached up and brushed her palm over his cleanly shaven beard, "I'm so sorry, baby, but I have no idea."

He nodded softly before slowly approaching the edge of the street where there was an unoccupied bench on the corner of the pavement.

Haley, who was expertly studying the street signs for some sort of signal, completely overlooked her husband taking a seat.

She might not recognize it just yet, but he knew she'd eventually figure it out.

Less than a minute later, when her eyes landed on him perched over on the bench,waiting with an expectant smirk, she let out a loud gasp.

"Oh my God, is this-?"

Nathan grinned, filling in her sudden speechless state; "-the place where I first told you I loved you? Yes."

Tears sprung to her eyes and she emotionally ran over to him, practically flinging her body onto the bench to wrap herself around him.

Her husband never failed to amaze her.

They shared a much too brief kiss for Haley's liking before Nathan pulled away and smirked. "As much as I'd love to sit here and make out with my sexy wife all night, I have to say something first."

"Okay," her voice came out in a squeak, still in shock that he had brought her to the exact bench where they sat fifteen year ago, confessing their love for eachother.

"Hales, fifteen years ago today, I told you I loved you for the first time-"

"Oh my God," she gasped again, choking on her breath. Damn him for being so romantic. "It was this exact date?"

Nathan furrowed his brows, "Well, yeah. You don't remember that either? Why do you think I buy you flowers every year on March 5th?"

"Nathan, you buy me flowers all the time!" She refuted. "How was I supposed to distinguish today as something special? We've never actually celebrated it."

"You're a girl, don't girls commit, like, everything to memory? I figured you'd have it written in some diary or something."

Haley blushed. He had found her diary a few years ago and read an entry written after they'd kissed for the first time, claiming how magical it felt. He hadn't let it go since.

She groaned and hid her face in the crux of his neck. "Now I'm super embarrassed. You're always doing cute things for me and I can't even remember the day you told me you loved me. I really suck, huh?"

Nathan smirked, "Baby, you have never heard me- will ever hear me- complain about you sucking. In fact, you're great at sucking-"  
"NATHAN!" She screeched as she watched people walk by. "We're in public!"

A loud chuckle tore through the quiet air, "oh, Haley James, you are way too fun to tease."

"You think that I'm a tease?" She mimicked the words said fifteen years ago, but instead of sounding insecure, the words rang the air with a hint of flirtation.

Nathan grinned, "stop it."

"Well, what do you think?"

"I think that you're my wife and I'm really lucky because you're really hot."

Haley scoffed, "that's not what you said, Nathan."

"Oh, now you remember what I said?" Nathan quipped playfully.

"Yes," she huffed, "I may not have remembered the exact date, but I do remember your words because I repeated them in my head for an entire month." A dreamy sigh escaped her lips, "you said, and I quote, 'I think that you're my girlfriend and I like spending time with you.' And then you said you didn't want to push me. I insisted you weren't, but you felt like you were because I got the tattoo. And I was worried because you said it freaked you out, but you didn't want to do anything to pressure me or drive me away." She paused and smiled, then grabbed his hand between hers, "even though sometimes you can't help it. Just like you couldn't help that you fell in love with me. Because you did."

Nathan licked his lips, unable to contain the full blown smile threatening to take over his face. "And then you looked so shocked and acted so innocent and shy because you were staring at the ground with the cutest little smile on your lips. And I was scared as hell because you weren't saying anything and I kept rambling and couldn't shut up. I think I said something stupid like 'there it is' and you repeated it, and next thing I know we're kissing on this bench."

"Don't forget I pulled away and whispered, 'I love you, too,' and you smirked that sexy little grin of yours-" Haley rolled her eyes as the said grin fell across her husband's lips. "Yes, that one."

"And then we made out," Nathan prompted. "I could never forget that."

Haley giggled, winding her arms around Nathan's neck. "I was so happy. I couldn't stop smiling for, like, an entire week after that. I couldn't believe it. Nathan Scott loved me!"

"He still does. A lot," Nathan's tone fell serious. "Haley, fifteen years ago, I was still a boy figuring out the world. I was hormonal and out-of-control, but hopelessly in love with a girl I never deserved-"

"Nathan," the tears returned and her voice lilted in protest.

"Let me finish. You know I'm not good at words, but I've been rehearsing this, so just… let me have this."

Haley bit her lip and nodded silently. He continued, "the point is, fifteen years ago today, I could only dream we'd be here, where we are today, in this exact same spot. Fifteen years doesn't feel like a lot, but we've come such a long way since that night. In a way, it was only just the beginning. The truth is, I didn't know where I was going or what my future would be like, but for the first time, I had felt what it was like to fall in love and I never wanted it to end. It didn't. If anything, my love for you only got stronger. Which, honestly, I don't know how that's possible because if I loved you any more, I think my heart would explode or something," he tried to joke but she didn't laugh. She simply stared at him in awe.

"I love you so much, Haley. These last fifteen years have been a blessing because I've gotten to spend them with you. Sometimes I still find it hard to believe I got to marry you and that you're the mother of my children, because fifteen years ago, that seventeen-year-old-boy was scared as hell. He wanted everything we have now, but was afraid he'd screw it all up and never get a future with you. And now that I have it, there's no way I will ever take it for granted. I love you, Haley James Scott. Always and forever."

By now, Haley was a blubbering mess. If anyone had walked by the bench, they'd think Nathan was breaking up with her by the way she was crying. But it was the complete opposite; she just fell in love with him all over again. She lost track of how many times she'd felt this way; every time she'd see him with their kids, or when he'd bring her flowers, and kiss her forehead, she felt as giddy as the first time she told him she loved him. It was one of the best feelings in the world.

"Hales," he rubbed her back gently, "don't cry. I just wanted to reflect on our life. I think it's pretty cool how far we've come in fifteen years. I didn't mean to make you upset."

She shook her head and wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands, "No, no. You didn't make me upset. You couldn't. I'm just so filled with emotions right now. God, I can't believe you still can make me feel this way."

Nathan grinned joyfully, "you have no idea how proud I am to be the only man that ever gets to do that."

She leaned up and kissed him slowly, savoring the taste on his lips even though she's commit it to memory by now. When air became an issue, they pulled apart, shared a look, and smiled.

Haley rested her head on his shoulder and let out a content sigh, "the seventeen-year-old-girl in me right now is still freaking out. This feels like a fairy tale."

Nathan laughed, and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "You gonna write about how magical it was?"

"I think I will," she giggled, "and of course I'll go home and call all my sisters gushing about how perfect my husband is, even after all these years."

"Guess I'm not the only one who gushes then, huh?"

Haley picked her head off of his shoulder and eyes him skeptically. "You've gushed about me?"

"Oh, hell yeah. That night after we said I love you? Tim had to literally shove a towel in my mouth so I stopped talking about it. And just the other day I was telling Clay how amazing you are and he actually had the nerve to kick me in the shin. I think I still have a bruise."

"Aww," Haley cooed, "you're so sweet! Even more a reason to brag about you to the girls."

"Haley-" Nathan groaned.

"Oh no, Nathan Scott, you can't expect me to keep my mouth shut when you just pulled one of the most romantic acts in history. This is one of the sweetest things you've ever done. Brooke will freak out when I tell her!"

Nathan simply shook his head, "I didn't really do much, Hales. I just told you how much I love you. I say it everyday."

"Nuh-uh. You brought me to this bench that has a special spot in our relationship. You know you're romantic, you just don't want to admit it. Unless, of course, there was an ulterior motive to all this. Nathan Scott, what did you do?" She teased.

Nathan widened his eyes, "I didn't do anything! I swear."

"I know. Now come on."

"Where are we going?"

She stood up and grinned seductively, "I may have been a tease fifteen years ago, but I'm not anymore. Take me home, stud."

Nathan stood up so quickly he nearly toppled over, causing Haley to let out another laugh.

"Whoa there. You don't want to pressure me now, do you?"

"Wha-,?"

She giggled again and grabbed his hand, "Kidding. Let's go!"

"Tease."


End file.
